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Columbia College of Missouri deploys ESM spend management solution

With the launch of ESM’s spend management solutions, Columbia College of Missouri, a private liberal arts and sciences college, now is reaping the rewards of automated procurement.

The college serves more than 20,000 students each year at more than 35 locations in 13 states, Cuba and online.

With ESM Purchase, Columbia is automating all of its procurement activities from start to finish with a solution that has saved other users countless hours and lots of money.

Easy-to-use online shopping experience

ESM Purchase features an e-commerce shopping portal that includes only Columbia’s preferred vendors and approved contracts. It has the look and feel of a consumer shopping experience, and integrates with the existing Colleague system.

“We were up and running very quickly, and our team adapted to the new process fairly quickly because it is fairly intuitive,“ said Brent Welch, purchasing director at Columbia College.

The solution gives users the ability to guide spend where it needs to go to, for instance, minority and women-owned businesses or for sustainable products.

It makes it possible for users to turn procurement into a revenue stream by driving more spend through the system, increasing the use of P-cards and maximizing rebates.

And it offers complete visibility into an organization’s spend, providing opportunities for users to boost their negotiating power and uncover new ways to save.

Flexible solution fits all needs

ESM’s solutions are not one-size-fits-all. It worked with Columbia College to mold the tool to meet its extensive workflows and unique requirements, including a creative approach to managing travel requests.

ESM Purchase also fully integrates with any organization’s ERP or financial system of record. Columbia College uses Colleague by Ellucian, which seamlessly connects with ESM Purchase. Single sign-on capability also is part of the package, making it easier for approved buyers to use the system.

“With each customer, we work hard to ensure our solutions meet their specific needs,” ESM CEO Anthony Rotoli said. “We look forward to continuing to support Columbia College as it finds new ways to save time and money with automated procurement.”